The Cat Sails 2014 IOM Ulster Championships 15-16th November 2014
Report as published in the Down Recorder web site
Photos by Sue Brown of Catsails
Lough Money, near Downpatrick in Co Down, was the perfect venue recently for the 2014 Cat Sails International One Metre (IOM) Ulster Championships, incorporating the Anglo-Celtic Challenge Cup.
The event was hosted by Belfast Waterworks Model Boat Club and after two days of sunshine and superb radio-controlled racing, Englishman Josh King was crowned Ulster champion for 2014, closely followed by current world champion Rob Walsh, from Scotland.
This is the third year the Ulster clubs have hosted their annual IOM Championship, which has grown further in stature with the inclusion of six high-calibre English entrants in addition to top skippers from Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
There were a total of 20 races over the two days — 16 of them coming on an action-packed Saturday.
The Irish skippers struggled early on to make any impression on the leaderboard, such was the fleet’s pace, although Howth’s Stephen Kay managed an impressive win in race 5 along with a third and three further very respectable fourth places on day one.
The fleet retired to nearby Paddy’s Barn in Saul on Saturday night and were treated to great hospitality.
Racing on Sunday was restricted to 1pm to allow competitors time to pack up, have the prize giving and prepare for the long journey home.
Northern Ireland’s Richard Rowan and the Republic’s Gilbert Louis started getting to grips with the fleet’s level of performance and began to steadily climb up the score board as the day unfolded.
Richard posted a fine win in Race 19, with Gilbert posting a win in the final race of the event. Both skippers were racing new boats and found learning to get the best out of their steeds in such a hot fleet no easy task.
Scotland’s impressive collective results tally ensured they retained their grip on the Anglo-Celtic Challenge Cup for the second successive year with England finishing second, Northern Ireland third and the Republic of Ireland holding up the rear.
Event sponsors Nigel and Sue Brown, of Cat Sails, presented the prizes and received a nice bottle of whiskey for sponsoring the event.
Thanks were expressed by the fleet to race management team of Pat Johnston (from Scotland), Bill Scott and Brian O‘Neill for two days of competitive racing
Thanks were also extended to the Department of Culture and Leisure for granting permission to host the event at such a fantastic venue.
On the evidence of the weekend’s racing at Lough Money, radio sailing in Northern Ireland is very much on the up.